1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stage apparatus, an exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method.
2. Description of Related Art
Exposure apparatuses used in photolithographic processes expose a substrate by illuminating a mask with exposure light and exposing the substrate with the exposure light that passes through the mask. Such an exposure apparatus comprises a mask stage, which holds and moves the mask, and a substrate stage, which holds and moves the substrate, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0248744. A technique is known in the art wherein the mask stage holds the mask by, for example, chucking the mask to a mounting surface of the mask stage.
Notwithstanding the above, holding the mask on the mounting surface via, for example, chucking risks deforming the mask, which in turn warps the shape of the mask. Warpage in the shape of the mask will lead to distortion in the pattern of the mask. If an exposure is formed in the state wherein the distortion of the pattern is left as is, then exposure failures, such as a reduction in the overlay accuracy of the pattern on the substrate or a defect in the pattern formed on the substrate, might occur. These potential problems could also result in the production of defective devices. There is a significant possibility that exposure failures and defective devices will occur not only because of the warpage of the mask but also because of warpage in the shape of an object mounted on the mounting surface, such as the substrate on the substrate stage.
A purpose of an aspect of the present invention is to provide a stage apparatus that can correct warpage in the shape of a surface that contacts a mounting surface and an exposure apparatus that can prevent exposure failures from occurring.